09.28.06

While Terrell Owens’ publicist boldly claimed yesterday that her client “has 25 million reasons to live,” (yeah, tell that one to Kurt Cobain), the Dallas WR’s personal trainer paints a far different picture in this morning’s Dallas Morning News.

(Mendlebaum?)

“A lot of things were coming to a head anyway, and then this happened,” said James “Buddy” Primm (above) , 55, who until earlier this month, had been living with Owens in his loft on Commerce Street, in the shadow of Fair Park.

“That’s been coming on forever,” Primm said of the breakup. “She’s not a bad girl. She’s cool, she’s fine. He said, ‘Can I take a break from the engagement?’ And she said, ‘No, let’s just put a stop to it.’ And that was a complete surprise to Terrell.”

Owens “doesn’t have many friends,” said the trainer, who contends that the public and news media have long misperceived a man he considers “a gentle soul” and a “caring, highly sensitive” individual with a fragile psyche.